HOUSE OF LADOSHA IS BANJEE REALNESS
March 17, 2010
More than a house, more than a group, House of LaDosha is a way of living, a realness, and an authenticity. The House of LaDosha is a trio composed of Adam Radakovich aka Cunty Crawford LaDosha, Ojay Morgan aka Miss Golisha Nomi Simone, and the house leader - Antonio Blair aka Dosha Devastation. Anyone can become a member of the LaDosha Family, and once you are initiated (the initiation process is kept secret and virtually unknown) you are a child of the family forever.
Both Cunty Crawford LaDosha and Dosha Devastation are graduates of Parsons School of Fashion and Design in Manhattan, and their styles are unique and unabashed. They also compose all of their own music on their laptops, and pen the lyrics that are riddled with their own specific language, which they have taken years to perfect. For instance, the word "pussy" doesn't reference female genitalia, instead it refers to an attitude of owning yourself completely and being fierce and original. While their lyrics can be hilarious and light, the words also provide a thought-provoking picture painted with keen observations and harsh realities. They are the freshest SHIT we've heard in a long time, and these girls are coming correct with the whole fucking package. We want to be members of the House of LaDosha clan. Us boys can dream, can't we?
House of LaDosha - Banjee Girl Realness
House of LaDosha - Burning Like Paris
House of LaDosha - Summer Baby (TWNTY4KGLDFCE REMIX)
Keep reading for more banjee girl realness!!!
THRU THE SMOKE & INTO YR HEART
March 12, 2010
Album covers with large pot leaves splattered in blood. Black and white videos with blood dripping into milk, fire, dogs, and gorgeous boys. Tropical dream pop. Organic field recordings with Lil Wayne samples and obscure movie and television samples. This is jj, who apparently aren't interested in you knowing who they are. Their intent is pure and simple - create the music that resonates in their bones, keep their identity mysterious, and do whatever the fuck they want.
Here's what we know: jj is the Swedish duo of Joakim Benon and Elin Kastlander. They released their first two efforts, the single jj no. 1 and full length album jj no. 2 last Spring on European label Sincerely Yours. They released their second full length album, jj no. 3 in the US and Sweden a few days ago on the phenomenal label, Permanent Vacation, as well as Secretly Canadian.
Their lyrics are vague references to drug use, natural elements, worldly landscapes, falling in and out of love, dreaming while awake, and dying in the arms of the only person who ever understood you. Their sound has a strong African influence coupled with electronic transmission and deep soaked reverb. There is no template to their music or song structure. It's truly unique. It may be safe to say that they're just out to please themselves with an attitude of: If you like it, cool. If you don't, that's cool too. They've got a strong vision driven by their aches and happiness rather than a desire for acceptance. We think that's a pretty solid outlook.
jj - Ecstasy
jj - From Africa to Malaga
jj - My Way (unreleased)
TWO TURNTABLES AND A TELEPHONE
March 10, 2010
Posted by Bil
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The first time I heard Rory Phillips was after my NY friend made me a mix with The Units song High Pressure Days as the opening track. The nu-disco sound immediately struck a chord in me, replete with hand claps, cowbells, and steel drum influence. Days passed before I took that first track off repeat and gave the rest of the mix a listen. It was then that I began my search (which continues to this day) for anything that he has touched. It is worth the effort...Rory Phillips is the SHIT.
Hailing from the UK, Rory Phillips is quickly gaining recognition as one of the best in a business that is changing every day, and every minute. His remixes are consistently solid, and his original work retains just as much merit. His approach is simple - throw out the rule book and make it your own. Not only has he remixed for the likes of Gossip, The Golden Filter, Primary 1, The xx, and Jackpot, but he has also been throwing mind-blowing parties for almost a decade. His first party, TRASH, which he threw with Erol Alkan, was a Monday night weekly party that set the standard for hip and innovative parties in the UK. While sailing high on the success of TRASH, they decided to call it quits and move onto other things. There are rumors that the last party attracted so many people that the line went around the block, and looped over back over itself as patient party-goers waited to give TRASH one last Hoorah!.
Rory Phillips has gone on to carve out dance-floor packed parties including Our Disco, SAY YES, and DURRR. His DJ sets are a combination of dusty, hard to find records, as well as personal edits and remixes of current or yet to be released material. He occasionally peppers each set with his own, original cuts, and his telephone headphone has been startling and confusing people for years. Be sure to support this amazing artist by heading over to Juno or Beatport and scooping up some if his incredible work.
The Units - High Pressure Days (Rory Phillips Remix)
Rory Phillips - Solar Breakfast
The Golden Filter - Hide Me (Rory Phillips Remix)
HARD ON FOR HARD TON
March 9, 2010
Posted by RAW
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Billed as the biggest Disco Queen of the XXI century, Hard Ton is unlike any other artist out there, and RAW has a huge hard on for Hard Ton! He's a delicious Italian-flavored recipe for dance floor fun! Take the body of Divine, throw in the voice of Sylvester, add the stage presence of Rob Halford, sprinkle it with the style of Leigh Bowery, and shake liberally with 100% pure acid house. Not to mention an amazing sense of humor...I mean the cover art for the Selfish EP is a fan-effing-tastic riff on the original.
There's substance to Hard Ton, and we're not just talking about his 300 pounds. After 15 years of performing in heavy metal bands, Hard Ton is now using his powerful voice and an arsenal of analogue and vintage gear to kick out some great music. His list of equipment would probably make an electronica geek cum. We're talking shit like 303s, 606s, drum machines, KORG Kaoss Pad 3, Roland Juno 106, Korg MS 20, Prophet 5, Tenori ON, MC505, Gameboys, cymbals, cowbells, and more.
The Selfish EP comes out next week on Gigolo Records and features the track Earthquake, which RAW has a copy of for you. Be sure to buy the full release when it comes out on March 15, and pick up his previous 12-inch release, Flawless on Permanent Vacation.
Hard Ton - Earthquake
Keep reading for more Hard Ton...
YOU CAN BE MY LIGHT, YOU CAN BE MY FOG
March 8, 2010
Posted by RAW
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The world lost another incredible heart, mind, soul, and visionary this past weekend. Mark Linkous, the mastermind, mulit-instrumentalist and lead-singer behind the alt-country/experimental band, Sparklehorse, took his own life on March 6, 2010. He also worked with David Lynch and Danger Mouse on the "finally being released" multi-media project, Dark Night of The Soul, and has collaborated with PJ Harvey, Tom Waits, Nina Persson and Daniel Johnston, to name a few. He was nearly finished with a new album which was to be released on Anti-Records. Linkous was originaly from Virginia. Below are some songs from his 2001 album, It's A Wonderful Life, as well as a video for Ghost In The Sky, from the 2006 Sparklehorse album, Dreamt For Light Years in the Belly of a Mountain. It's sad that he felt like he needed to go...let's hope he found peace wherever he is.
Sparklehorse - King of Nails
Sparklehorse - Comfort Me
Sparklehorse - It's A Wonderful Life